When we begin to discuss the topic of STEM professionals and workers we are time and time again presented with the issue of gender disparity and lack of women in STEM.
According to a Girls with Impact study:
- Only 10-20% of all tech jobs are populated by Women
- 18-20% of Engineering Students are female
- 5% of Tech Start-up and completed by Women
In this same way, when we discuss the field of Entrepreneurship we are once again faced with an unequal representation of women.
When it comes to starting their own businesses, women only make up 20% of all Ireland’s Entrepreneurs. Even in the Rubicon centre, 16% of the businesses are female led.
However, Women in STEM and Women in Entrepreneurship share skills and qualities that both compliment and enhance the alternate fields.
Entrepreneurship is a skill that goes hand-in-hand with STEM:
- Identifying Needs
- Taking Calculated Risk
- Accepting failure as part of a scientific method resulting in long-term success.
STEM supports and opportunities for Women are key to drive women into non-traditional industries but entrepreneurship will be the key in making women leaders.
There are many reasons why female are slow to enter the STEM fields of embark on entrepreneurial journeys.
Many attribute it to socialital and cultural barriers of family life, prejudicial stereotype and personality traits.
Women are generally more likely to by motivated by necessity rather than opportunity and tend to be less likely to leave jobs or sacrifice family life in order to start their own business.
We are left with a substantial gender imbalance in the field of Entrepreneurship and STEM which on contributes further this workplace culture of inequality.
But what can be do?
We can put supports and opportunities in place for women in STEM to become female founders.
Busineess Supports like the EXXCEL Programme run by the Rubicon Centre allow for these opportunities to take place
The EXXCEL Programme part time programme dedicated to supporting female founders with STEM sector start up ideas.
It is delivered over a six month period, one Saturday in class per month supported by one to one mentoring.
Women in STEM fields learn about Business planning and strategy, Market research, Digital marketing and Sales, Finance, Scaling and funding without having to sacrifice work or family life.
Programmes like EXXCEL show women the potential and ability they have and encourage progression, business and personal development.
If this is something you are interested in click here.
It’s time to break the mold and push boundaries.
Let’s add another E to STEM – Entrepreneurship.
